Mining machine of the planer type having vertically spaced, pivoted cutting members



06L 1957 J. G. KRAPELS 2,808,252

MINING MACHINE OF THE PLANER TYPE HAVING VERTICALLY SPACED, PIVOTED CUTTING MEMBERS Filed Feb. 8, 1956 FIG.

FIGS

United States Patent MINING MACHINE or run PLA nn rrPan v- ING VER'I'ICALLY SPACED, PIVOTED CUTTING Johannes G. Krap'els, Geleen, Netherlands, assignor to Stamicarbon N. V., He'erlen, Netherlands Application February 8, 1956, Serial No. 564,302

Claims priority, application Netherlands February 15, 1955 4 Claims. (Cl. 2628) The present invention relates to a machine for the mechanical mining of coal or other material and, more particularly to a new improved machine such as a mineral plow having cutting members at both ends and adapted to be hauled first in one direction and then in another direction along a mine face so as to peel the coal or other mineral from the mine face and load it into a conveyor during both directions of travel.

I-Ieretofore such machines for mechanical mining of coal or other mineral :have been provided with cutting members on a holder, the holder being pivoted to the body of the machine. In this arrangement the holder pivots through a small angle at the beginning of each cutting stroke as a result of the cutting resistance of the mineral being mined. If the holder pivots, the trailing cutting member moves free of the mine face so as to eliminate increased resistance of movement and undue wear of said cutting member.

The oppositely directed cutting members may be closer together at the top of the machine than at the bottom. Thus, the ends of the machine which alternately lead its advance have faces which are sloped upwardly from the floor so that the loosened mineral in the path of advance of the machine slides up the slope at the leading end of the machine and drops into the conveyor over its side wall. Moreover, as a result of this slope a downwardly directed force is exerted on the machine which helps to prevent the machine from climbing in the seam. In some such cases, where the cutting members at the opposite ends are closer together at the top of the machine it is found that while the pivoting of the holder may ensure that the cutting members at the lower part of the machine are out of contact with the mine face, the trailing cutting members at the upper part of the machine may still make contact with this uneven face. This is due to the fact that at the end of the pivoting movement the displacement of the lower part of the cutting members is greater than that of the upper part of these members. For the same reason the lower part of the leading cutting member will penetrate deeper into the mine face than the upper part.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved mechanical mining machine, wherein the resistance in the movements of the machine and the wear of the cutting members are not increased by the trailing cutting members moving in close relationship along the mine face.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mining machine in which the trailing cutting members are moved clear of the mine face even in the case that the cutting members at the top of the holder are closer together than at the bottom.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a mining machine in which the upper part of the holder may pivot over a greater angle than the lower part of the holder.

A further object of the present invention is to provide 2,808,252 Patented Oct. 1, 1957 a mining machine in which the pivoting movement of the upper part of the cutting members is not limited ay the presence of the side wall of .a conveyor arranged parallel to the mine face. i

These and other objects of the present invention will appear more fully from the following specification, claims and drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the mining machine of the present invention disclosing the mineral cutting and mineral removing conveyor assembly;

- Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the mining machine looking from the left ofFigure 1; and

Figure 3 is a plan view, the mineral removing conveyor being eliminated for purposes of clarity.

Referring now in detail to the drawings wherein like character or reference numerals represent like parts, the mining machine of the present invention includes a coal or mineral plow generally indicated at 2, which is guided along a coal or mineral take-01f conveyor generally indicated at 1.

Conveyor 1 preferably includes two spaced side walls 3 and 4 connected at their midportions by a transverse plate 5, defining upper and lower troughs. Mineral de posited in the upper trough may be transported away from the machine by suitable means, such as scraper blades 7 which are attached to endless chains 6. The return reach of the conveying means travels in the lower trough of the conveyor.

As shown in Figure l a guide rail 8 is secured to conveyor l longitudinally along wall 3. Plow 2, includes a frame or body 9, which is provided with rearwardly extending spaced portions 10 and 11 adapted to cooperate with guide rail 8 so as to engage in the upper and lower guide grooves defined between guide rail 8 and conveyor wall 3. By having plow 2 so mounted on conveyor 1, the plow can reciprocate back and forth along guide rail 8 in order to peel the mineral from the mine face as will be subsequently described.

In order to reciprocate plow 2 with respect to conveyor 1 along its guide rail 8, suitable cables 13 are attached to the frame 9 of the plow for hauling it along the mine face, which cables are operated in any conventional manner such as by winches (not shown). In order to clear away slack coal or other mineral from under the adjacent side wall 3 of conveyor 1 frame 9 is provided with a floor tool 12 extending under said side wall.

Plow 2 has a lower blade holder 20 which is connected to frame 9 by links 16 and 17 pivoted to rods 14 and 15 on frame 9 and rods 18 and 19 on the holder. Holder 20 is thus free to be longitudinally displaced relatively to frame 9, under the cutting resistance, to a small extent which is limited by a stop member 21, so that the cutting members which are subjected to the cutting resistance are pressed into the face and the cutting members which are trailing move clear of the face, as described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 495,243, filed March 18, 1955, now Patent No. 2,764,395.

The ends of holder 20 are sloped to provide ramp faces for causing loose coal or mineral in the track of plow 2 to rise and pass over the side wall 3 of conveyor 1 into the trough. Cutting members 22 and 23 at the opposite ends of holder 20 follow this slope.

A plate 24 is mounted on the top of frame 9 and extends over the side wall 3 of conveyor 1. On plate 24 a vertical pivot pin 25 is mounted about which is hinged an upper blade holder 26 carrying cutting members 28 and 29, which cut above the upper level of side wall 3. Plate 24 also carries a part 27 which serves as a stop member. Upper holder 26 is free to turn in either direction through a sufliciently large angle to ensure that top cutting member 28 or 29, which is for the time being trailing, will always move clear of the mine face. The

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is tobe taken as a pref ferred embodiment of the same and that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

i The terminology used in the specification is for the purpose of description and not for limitation, the scope of invention being defined in the claims.

Iclaim:

1. In a machine for mechanical mining of a mineral from a mine face, a plow member movable along the mine face, said plow member including a frame, a lower holder having a side disposed adjacent the mine face, lower cutting members on the ends of said lower holder, means carried by said frame mounting said lower holder for limited angular movement in a substantially horizontal' plane, an upper holder disposed above said lower holder, upper cutting members on the ends of said upper holder spaced closer together than the spacing of said lower cutting members, and means carried by said frame mounting said upper holder for limited angular movement in a substantially horizontal plane of an amount greater than the amount of limited angular movement of said lower holder.

2. A mechanical mining machine of the character described in claim 1 wherein said last-mentioned means 4 comprises a vertical pivot between said frame and its upper holder.

3. In a machine of the type described, the combination comprising an elongated conveyor having a side wall, a plow member mounted'on the side wall of said conveyor for longitudinal reciprocating movement therealong in cutting relation to amine face, said plow'member including a frame, a lower holder having a side disposed adjacent the mine face, lower cutting members on the ends of said lower holder, means carried by said frame.

mounting said lower holder for limited angular movement in a substantially horizontal plane, an upper holder disposed above said lower holder and above the upper 1 holder for limited angular movement in asubstantially horizontal plane of an amount greater thanthe amount of limited angular movement of said lower holder.

4. The combination as defined in claim 3 wherein said last-mentioned means comprises a plate connected with said frame and projecting inwardly of said conveyor above said side wall and a vertical pivot pin extending upwardly from said plate pivotally connecting said upper holder thereto.

No references cited. 

